Pay-roll register



Patented Mar. 28, I899.

J. F. KNOWLES.

PAY ROLL REGISTER.

(Applies-ting filed Oct. 8, 1898'.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 622,050; Patented Mar. 23,1899.

J. KNOWLES.

PAY ROLL REGISTER.

(Application filed. Oct. 8, 1898.) (No Mudgl.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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, STATES PATEN rricn.

JOSIAH F. KNOWLES, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. I

PAY-ROLL REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,050, dated March 28, 1899.

Application filed October 8, 1898. Serial No. 692,991. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSIAH F. KNOWLES, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Pay- Roll Registers,of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention is an improved means and system for keeping the pay-roll or register adapted to concerns having a large number of employees.

In manufacturing, mercantile, and other establishments, where a number of persons are employed at varying salaries or wages, it is usually desirable that the salaries or wages should be kept secret, and it is also requisite that convenient means should be provided for entering the various data required without liability of mistake; but in the cumbersome and awkward systems of bookkeeping at present employed these requirements are not met, but a large amount of labor is required and secrecy is exceedingly diflicult to maintain. Accordingly it is the aim of my present invention to provide means, preferably in connection with keeping the accounts in the form of cards or separate sheets, for maintaining not. only the names secret, but also the nu-- merical or other identifying characters,while at the same time affording the greatest facility and convenience to the accountant and paymaster for entering all requisite data and for disposing of the money, to.

The structural details and further advantages and manner of using my improved apparatus and system will appear more fully in the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, illustrative of a preferred embodiment thereof, and the invention Will be more particularly defined in the appended claims, also forming part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of my apparatus closed. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the same open as in use. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail, somewhat enlarged, giving a more complete view of the recordingsheet. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the parts in different positions.

In carrying out my invention I provide a suitable case A in the form of a shallow box or portfolio of a size and depth to receive a desired number of recording-sheets B. This case has a concealing pocket or guard a at its left-hand side, preferably permanently attached at its ends and one side to the inclosing ends a,which project upwardly as flanges from the bottom a of the case. Flexibly connected to the guard on is a leaf a and at the opposite side of the case is a similar leaf a Fitting loosely within the case is a mask-plate or slide a normally free to slide to the right or left, as desired, in order to cover up such columns as it may be desired to conceal.

I mean the term mask-plate to include any movable means whatever for covering up a portion of the recording-sheet or pay-roll.

The box or case is of such a depth as to receive the plate or slide a substantially flush with the top edges of the case, and said slide has preferably a staple or perforated car a, which serves as a handle by which to move it and also receives the hasps a a of the leaves a a for permitting the case and its contents to be securely locked.

Referring to Fig. 3, taken in connection with Figs. 2 and 5, the recording-sheet B will be understood where it is seen to contain a column b, suitably lined to contain the names of the pay-roll, and two similar columns I) Z2 for the entries of the amounts paid and other data, if desired, these columns being separated by three columns or series of numbers b I have shown the columns I) b as ruled for weekly entries, each column accommodating the entries for three months, and therefore one side of a sheet serving as the payroll for six months. Each employees name will be entered in the left-hand column b, and he will also be known to the pay-clerk or paymaster by the number in the column b opposite his name, each of the columns b containing the same series of numbers, beginning at 1, it may be, and extending down to 100. or more, as required.

The manner of using my improved case and recording-sheet which constitute my invention is as follows: It being supposed that the names are all entered in the column b in alphabetical or other desired order and that the paymaster is about to make up the first each person, enter in the spaces in column Z) allotted for that week the said amounts. Thereafter the numbers only are used, as it is unnecessary to refer to the names. If an employee goes on a vacation and receives pay in advance, the extra amount entered will at once show the fact, as indicated at c, and the successive 0 entries week by week, as indicated at 0, will show the absence of said employee. If a new employee is engaged, his account will begin as indicated at d, while an increase of pay or a discontinuance thereof on account of illness or a discharge will appear as indicated, respectively, at cfg. Now, supposing a curious person looks over the shoulder of the accountant, the accountant merely shoves the sheet B back into the position shown in Fig. 2, (provided it may have been drawn out, which, however, would not be probable,) the names all being effectually concealed by the guard a, and the accountant continues his work by means of the numbers in the columns 12 or, supposing the spying person should know whom the numbers designated, the accountant simply shifts the slide or over such portion of the column b as is filled out, as indicated in Fig. 5, or if the first three months entries have been made and therefore the entire column b is filled in and the column b is being used the accountant simply turns over the leaf 00, thereby concealing the entire column Z), and conceals by means of the slide a the few entries which may appear in the column b it being apparent that although the figures of the right-hand column b may be seen they convey no information, inasmuch as all the portion of the sheet which is visible is blank. So, likewise, the column b and the right-hand column b may be concealed by turning down the leaf a, as indicated in Fig. 5.

The mask-plate a may be slid either way, as desired, in order to conceal any particular weeks entries or other specific data which it is desired should not be seen.

By the use of my apparatus and system as above set forth it will be seen that the labors of the accountant and paymaster are very much simplified, and also the apparatus is exceedingly compact and therefore convenient to carry around, as the paymaster is often required to do. Moreover, when opened in the position shown in Fig. 2, the case affords great convenience to the paymaster in filling the envelops with the money desired, the leaf a" then receiving the money in successive piles, beginning from the top with bills of one dollar, two dollars, five dollars, &c., while the numbered envelops are successively arranged on the opposite leaf (t The extreme convenience for maintaining the various accounts entirely secret is one of the main and principal advantages of my in-' vention.

Not only are the various recording-sheets kept with perfect neatness and security by the case, but the latter also affords the accountant an ever-ready means for preventing unauthorized inspection of what he is doing.

Various changes in the details of my invention may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the invention. and whilev I have spoken of a pay-roll I wish it understood that this term includes any account or series of entries, and I do not intend to limit myself otherwise than as hereinafter expressed in the claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The herein-described pay-roll register, comprising a shallow case having a guard at one side of a width suflicient to conceal the names entered on the adjacent side of a contained recording-sheet, a leaf at the opposite side of the case flexibly secured thereto, and when closed, lying over the top of the case, and an intermediate mask-plate or slide arranged to slide laterally on the contained sheet, and a sheet for receiving the entries, substantially as described.

2. The herein-described pay-roll register, comprising a shallow case having a guard at one side of a width sufiicient to conceal the names entered on the adjacent side of a contained recording-sheet, a leaf flexibly secured to the inner edge of said guard, a second leaf at the opposite side of the case flexibly secured thereto, and when closed, lying over the top of the case, and a 1n ask-plate or slide arranged to slide laterally on the contained sheet, and a sheet for receiving the entries, substantially as described.

3. In a payroll register, the herein-described case comprising a shallow box having rigidly upturned edges or flanges to hold a plurality of recording-sheets, a guard rigidly secured at its ends and one edge to said flanges at one side of the case, and having a width sufficient to conceal the names entered on the adjacent side of a contained recording-sheet,- a movable mask-plate or slide arranged to move laterally within said box toward and from said guard, a leaf flexibly connected to the ease opposite said guard, and when closed, lying over the top of the case, and means for closing and locking the case and its contents, substantially as described.

4. In a pay-roll register, the herein-dcscribed case comprising a shallow box having rigidly upturned edges or flanges to hold a plurality of recording-sheets, a guard rigidly secured at its ends and one edge to said flanges at one side of the case, a movable mask-plate or slide arranged to move laterally within said box toward and from said guard, a leaf flexibly secured to said guard at the inner edge thereof and closing over a part only of IIO the remaining portion of the boX, a second leaf flexibly secured to the ease opposite said guard, and when closed lying over the top of the case, and means for closing and looking the case and its contents, substantially as described.

5. Ina pay-roll register, the combination with a case, of a recording-sheet, said sheet having a name-column at one side, a plurality of entry-columns'in alinementtherewith, and

number-columns at each side of said entrycolumns, said number-columns each containing a similar series of numbers for identifying the names in the name-column, said case corresponding in size substantially to said sheet and having at one side a guard or pocket corresponding in width to said name-column, whereby the latter is concealed when in place in the case, a leaf being flexibly secured to the inner edge of said guard, said leaf corresponding in width substantially to the adjacent entry-column, said case also having at its opposite side a secondleaf flexibly secured thereto and corresponding in width substantially to the entry-column at that side of the sheet, and when closed, lying over the top of the case, and a movable mask-plate arranged to rest between said two leaves, and having 

